Machine for the treatment of vaccine



`lune 9, 1925. A

1,540,853 R. F. MAcFlE MACHINE FOR THE TREATMENT OF VAGGINE Filed June 4, 1923 2 Sheets-.Sheet June 9, 1925. 1,540,853

R. F. MACFIE MACHINE FOR THE TREATMENT oE vEccmE Filed June 4. 1923 sheets-sheet 2 Patented June 9,` 1925.

UNITED STAT-Es PATENTvVoFFlcE.

'ROBERT FRANCIS HACFIE, 0F LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR T0 NUTBIMENT LIM- y`II'.I..`ED, OF LONDON,- ENGLAND, A BRITISH CORP-ANY.

MACHINE ron y'i1-:IE TREATMENT or vaccmn application med :une 4,1923'. seran m. 343,480.

Tol all whom it concern.'

Be it known that I, ROBERT FRANCIS MAG- Fm, a citizen of the United States of America, residing in London, England, have in.

vented certain new and useful Improvements in MachinesA for the Treatment of Vaccine, of which the following is a speci` fication.

This invention has for its object to pro- 104 vide an improved machine for the treat? ment of vaccine. In the preparation of vaccines, it is desirable that the bacteria should vbe detoxicated, and for this purpose it is -necessary that the skin or covering i should be burst, broken or otherwise punctured, or that the bacteria should be crushed, and the object; of this invention is to provide a machine for Vthe treatment of a liquid wherein the bacteria are in suspension in the usual'manner whereby this operation shall be more effectively performed than has hitherto been possible. Y According to this invention, apparatus for the' purpose above set forth comprises two elements, for example a stator andv a rotor, arranged to be movable relatively one to theother at a high speed, each element being provided with passages which in said relatlve movement, are brought into and out from register with one another, and means for forcing the liquid containing the bacteria through said passages, whereby it is violently agitated, and the bacteria are punctured or crushed.

In apreferred form'of this invention, the applaratus comprises a rotor havingA a per1p eral flange provided with saw cuts or like passages through it, a stator also having a flange provided with similar passages, these two parts be'ng so disposed thatthe ends of the saw-cuts cross one another during rotation of the rotor to provide intermittently communication from the interior of the rotor to the stator, and means forcirculating the liquid into the assa s. p

The4 liquid is discharged `centrifu ally from the rotor into the stator, and thecam Aber in the stator receiving the liquid may be closed, and provided with a pipe communication so that the pressure exerted on the liquid in the stator causesv it to be forced through this` pipe back and delivered into the rotor, so that a continuous circulation is maintained.

lAccording to another feature of this invention, avalve of any convenient construction may be provided on this pipe to control the rate of the said circulation, as in some instances a better result may be obtained by permitting the circulation to be only slow.

In. the accompanying drawings'- Figure 1 is a central sectional view of the apparatus according'to this invention; 'Figure 2 is a plan of Figure l with parts broken away; and v Figure 3 1s a detail view showinga modified construction.

Like reference characters indicate like parts throughout'the drawings.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, theappara- 79 tus comprises a circular plate 10 which constitutes the stator of vthe machine, and a bridge-piece.or bracket 1 1 is secured on it in any convenient manner so as to extend diametrically across it. Bearings fora vertical shaft `are provided centrally in the plate 10 and bracketrll. As illustrated, la thrust-bearing is provided at each end of the'shaft by means of an adjustable screw 12 carrying a yhardened steel ball 13 situ- 80 ated axially on it and adapted to engage the rotor shaft 14 on the central line thereof. The radial bearingsql serve to locate the shaft. Around the hearings in the statorplate 10 there is formed an annular recess 16 sol as to provide an .upstanding'wall 17 from the face, of the stator 10. .An annu` lar channel or recess 18 is formed on the stator outside the wall or flange 17, so that the said wall 17 stands up Aasa circular ridge. from 'the stator. This rldge 17 is provided with a lar number. of saw-cuts 19, each extending ownvvardsv from its upper surface to near the bottom, of the ridge, and they are preferably as narrow as they can conveniently be made and are spaced as closely together as is practicable. Thus, f for example, these saw-cuts maybe about one-sixteenthlof an inch broad with a ace of about one-eighth of an inch between t em. lo"

Furthermore, these`saw-cuts in plan are inclined at an angle of, say, 30 degrees to the radial lines of the stator whereon they lie, the cuts sloping forward from their inner ends in the directionof rotation of the rotor. Preferably also they`are not vertical, but are sloped away from the vertical at an angle of, say, l0 degrees.

The radially-inner ends of these saw-cuts open on to the inner face of the ridge 17, and this face is sloped downwards so that it constitutes a part of the surface of a cone whereofl the apex lies on the. axis of and below the rotor. The outer ends of the sawcuts 19 open on to the annular channel 18 aforesaid, and this channel is closed by a top-plate 20. This top-plate may be of any convenient shape, and as illustrated in Figure l, it constitutes both the outer wall and the top of the channel 18.

A suitable passage 21, shown in Figure 2, and also shown diagranimatically in Figure 1, provides communication from the channel `18 to the outside of `the apparat-us, where it is fitted with a suitable cock 22; this opening serves as a drain for the lchannel 18.

ACommunication from this channel 18 is also provided by a pipe-connection 23 which extends upwards from the channel and is bent over towards the centre of the stator with its upper end 24 conveniently near the centre.

'A stop-cock or valve 25of any suitable construction is provided in this pipe.

The rotor of this apparatus is mounted on the shaft 14 as aforesaid, which also carries a belt-pulley 26 or other convenient Ameans for rotating the shaft at a high speed.

The rotor 27 is substantially disc-shaped,

. but is provided with a central boss 28 whereby it is keyed or otherwise secured to this shaft 14, and is provided with an upstanding and overhanging flange 29. The lower face 30 of the rotoris spaced away from the opposed face of the stator so 'as to provide a space between them. The rotor is alsb provided with a downwardly directed flange 31 which fits within the recess formed by the flange 17 .on the stator, and is corre` spondingl tapered. The flange 31 is'provided wit-1 saw-cuts 32 similar to those in the stator, but the sawcuts in the rotor-are inclined backwardly from their radially inner end s with respect to the directionof rotation of the rotor, as shown in Figur'e2, end in elevation they are inclined to the vertical, as shown in Figure 1, at an angle of, say, 10 degrees in the opposite direction to that in which the stator saw-cuts are inclined, as above stated. The depths of the saw-cuts in the stator and rotor are so proportioned that they overlap one another vertically so that during the rotation of the rotor, the outer ends of the saw-cuts 32 are traversed across the inner ends of the sawcuts 19 on the stator, thereby providing intermittent communication yfrom the inner space between the stator and rotor ,to the outer annular space 18 aforesaid. The open' end 24 of the pipe-connection 23 aforesaid opens into the interior of the rotor, and passages 33 rovide communication between the upper an lower sides of the-l rotor as shown in Figure 1.

In the operationof this machine, the rotor is set in rotation, and a quantity of liquid containing the bacteria to be treated is introduced int'o they rotor. It Vpasses downwards through the passages 33- into the space between the stator and rotor, and under the action of centrifugal force, it is delivered outwards through the sawcuts 32 and 19 by the intermittent communication established between them during rotation. Suilicient pressure is established in the channel '18 by the centrifugal force to cause the liquid to rise in the pipe 23, and be delivered from the open end 24 into the rotor so that a continuous circulation is effected. By opening or closing the valve 25 to a greater or less extent, .the'rate of this circulation can be controlled.

In a construction of apparatus according to this invention ywhich has proved satisfactory, the rotor is about 11 centimetres in diameter, and is driven at a speed of about three-thousand revolutions per minute. The .stator has eighty saw-cuts 19 in it, and the rotor has sevent saw-cuts` 3 2, these saw-cuts being of the imensions above set forth. Obviously, however, the machine may be made of any desired size .and run atan desired speed. Generally speaking, the higher the spee'd at'which the rotor can be run, the more efficient is the working of the machine, as the a itation which the liquid receives is governe mainly by the smalliiess of the saw-cuts land the high speed of they rotor.

In order to prevent leakage of the liquid which is being treated, through the space between the 'rotor and stator, these two 'parts are' preferably provided with lcti-operating l c lindrical surfaces as shownA vat 34, and a c annel or groove 35 is" provided 4in these faces to trap any li uid vleakin ,ibetween them. A drain 3 6 Awith a stop-coc or valve '37 is used to draw o such leaka There may also be rovided a glss or liche shield 38 mounted a ove the rotor so as to prevent Floss of liluid by splashing. Instea of the surfaces 34, the construction illustrated in Figure 3 may be used. In this case the part 20 which forms the -clof sure for the outer wall and top ofthe channel 18 is extended inwards towards-the centre height as to provi trifugal effect of any liquid through the outer periphery of the rotor and the inner surface of the stator.

It will be obvious that many modifications may be made in Athe mechanical details of construction of the apparatus, and all such modifications are held to lie within thescopc of this invention.

lVhat I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is l. In apparatus for the 'treatment of solid particles lnsuspension in a liquid, the com-" ination of two concentric elements fitting closely together, means for rotating the 1nner element relatively to .the outer' element tiveA rotation of at a high speed,- passages in each of said elements extending fromA the radially inner face to the radially outer face thereof and inclined relatively to radial lines passing through their inner ends, said passages Vbeing so arranged as to be brought by the relathe elements into and out from register with one another, means for cine and bacteria in suspension in a liquid,

Y said s aft, a rotor on said shaft,

disposed'wall on said rotor fitting againstl said plate,

the combination of a plate, a circularly disposed fiange upstanding on the upper face thereof, openings extending through said flange from the inner to the outer face thereof, an annular member surrounding said fiange and providing a chamber between 1t and the flange wherewith said openings conimunicate, a rotatable shaft mounted col axiall with said flange, means for rotating a circularly the inner surface of the fiange on openings extending through said wall inthe vsame p ane as the openings in the said flange means for sup lying the liquid to be treate to the rotor inside the.wall thereon, and meansfor withdrawing the liquid from the chamber aforesaid.

3. In a machine for' thewtreatment of vaccine and bacteria in' suspension in a liquid, the combination ofV a plate, a circularly disposed flange opstanding on the upper face thereof, substantially radial openings extending through said flange,A a closure member surrounding said flange and providing a chamber between-I it and the fiange wherewith the said openings communicate, a rotatable shaft mounted coaxiallywith the said flange, means forl rotating said shaft, a rotor on ,sai/d shaftspaced away upwardly from said plate, a circularlyhdisposed wall depending from said rotor and y andstato'r,

fitting against thel inner surface of the said flange, substantially radial openings extending through said wa'll inthe same horizontal plane' as the openings in the said fiange moans for circulating the liquid to be treated through the said rotor,` the said passages and the said chamber.` i

l. Inl a machine for the treatment of vaccine and bacteria in suspension in a liquid. the combination of-a disc-like rotor formed with a peripheral flange, afdisc-like stator facing said rotor and spaced away therefrom and provided with a flange fitting closely outside the said fiange on the rotor, substantially radial lsaw-cuts in each of said flanges, means for supplying liquid to the space between the opposed faces of the rotor and 'the stator, a chamber in said stator Whereto the liquid to' be treated is delivered through said saw-cuts, and a pipe connec-4 tion providing a circulation path for the liquid from the said chamber back to said rotor. A

5. In a machine for the'treatment of vaccine and bacteria in. suspension in a liquid,

the combination of a disc-like rotor formed with a peripheral flange, a disc-like stator facing. said rotor and spacedaway herea ange ttmg from and provided wit closely outside the saidfiange on the rotor, substantially radial.. saw-cuts in each of said flanges, means for supplying liquid to the space between the opposed faces ofthe rotor and stator, a., chamber in said stator whereto the liquid to be treated is delivered through said saw-cuts,

said chamber trolling valve on said pipe connection.;

6. In a machine forthe treatment of vaceine and bacteria in sus nsion in a liquid, the combination of 'a disc-like rotor, aide'- pending peripheral fiange thereon, a disclike statorv facing' said rotor but s aced away therefrom and provided with af a e fitting closely outside the fiange on the sald rotor, means for supplying liquid to the a pipe connectionproviding j a circulation path from the liquid from the f back to said rotor, and a con-' rotor, substantially radial saw-cuts in each i of said flanges extending froml the edge thereof in opposite directions from paralleli ism with the axis ofv rotation Vof the" space' between 'the opposedr faces of the rotor outer ends of the saw the stator communicate, and means for cn'- -culating the liquid to be` treated through a chamber wherewith the radially cuts in the ange on` saidrotor, said saw cuts and said chamber.

y 7. In a machine for the treatment 'of vaccine and bacteria in suspension in a liquid, the'combination of a pending peripheral fiange thereon,""'saw-cuts extendin from the inner to the outerface of said ange, inclined relatively to radial dise-like rotor, a delinesbackwardly from their inner endsin the direction of rotation, a disc-like stator their inner'ends relatively to radial lines facing said rotor and spaced away therepassing through said inner ends,a chamber l0 from, an upwardly-directed flange on said wherewith the outer ends of said saw cuts stator fitting closely to the outside surface of communicate, and means for circulating the the flange on said rotor, saw-cuts extending liquidto be treated through said rotor,y said through the Harige in said rotorv from the saw cuts and said chamber. t 4 inner to the outer face thereof and inclined' In testimony whereof I aix my signature. forwardlv in the direction of rotation from ROBERT FRANCIS MACFIE. 

